Minister Des Van Rooyen emphasises the importance of the municipal managers in a democratic South Africa
The Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Minister Des van Rooyen delivered a keynote address at the second Annual conference of the Institute of South African Municipal Accounting Officers (ISAMAO) held in Birchwood on 27 June 2016.
The institute aims to professionalise the position of the municipal accounting officer in South Africa. With the relevant support, ISAMAO can ensure that the collective institutional memory of municipal managers, a critical ingredients to the effective functioning of any organisation, is not lost to local government generally and to municipalities, specifically.
“It is important to note that this conference comes at a time when South Africa is certainly experiencing interesting times. In just over a month from now South Africans will be heading to the polls on 3 August 2016. We should also not forget that we are on the 16th year of the democratic local government, the 22nd year of freedom and 40 years of youth month.
All this issues makes the environment dynamic and interesting as things are continuing to change due to heightened political activity which is normal during an election period”, said Minister van Rooyen.
Since the Municipal Managers (MM) are at the coal-face of service delivery, the institute should strive to encourage collaboration and sharing of best practices across the country and on the continent, where necessary with similar institutes.
This crosspollination of knowledge and ideas will assist us to ensure that we have professionals who understand that municipalities are seized with an ongoing project of reshaping the municipal landscape to ensure economic emancipation for communities.
“We welcome the fact that this institute will ensure assist municipalities that are struggling and will be helped to leverage on best practices of those who are doing well thereby reducing the over reliance on consultants and in the processes curb the wastage of scarce resources”, said Minister van Rooyen.
It is within this context that as CoGTA we welcome the initiative that led to the formation of the Institute of South African Municipal Accounting Officers (ISAMAO) in 2013. Minister van Rooyen indicated that we certainly support this institution’s mission which aims to develop and maintain a system of standards, norms and procedures that will inculcate professionalism among Municipal Accounting Officers thereby enhancing quality service delivery to communities.
We are happy that through the Back to Basics Programme, as CoGTA we are also committing to build resilient institutional systems by ensuring that municipalities appoint suitably qualified and competent municipal managers and senior managers. This programme has also shown that the MMs play a vital role in the effective functioning of municipalities, hence we welcome efforts to professionalise this position.
When there is instability or dysfunctionality in the MM’s position, the municipality has difficulty in implementing and achieving the set targets of delivering the services to communities.
Minister van Rooyen said that it is important to indicate that CoGTA working together with the National Treasury are already collaborating towards alignment of regulations on minimum competency requirements for senior managers in municipalities. We intend to finalise and publish the regulations setting out uniform standards for staff below senior managers, for public comment, in fulfilment of government’s commitment to build resilient institutions. These regulations also prescribe the minimum competency requirements for all municipal officials.
It is within this context that as COGTA we support the idea brought by ISAMAO to create a statutory council for municipal managers’ that looks after the profession of municipal managers. “It is high time that a professional statutory body representing municipal managers be tasked to look after the interests of the profession and to uphold professional ethics, values, code of conduct and the enforcement of adherence to these interests”, said Minister van Rooyen.
AS CoGTA we believe that the professionalisation of will go some way to restoring the prestige and office of Municipal Managers.
“As head of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Elections, let me add that it is all systems go to the 03 August local elections and government is working as a coherent unit in the planning and preparation for the elections”, said Minister van Rooyen.
The Minister reminded MMs that their role during the election period is even more vital because they have to hold the fort as councillors’ change and ensure that service delivery still takes place. It is important to note that MMs are responsible for calling the very first Council meeting, after the elections.
It is within this context that we acknowledge the complex and vital role that the MMs play in bridging the administrative, political and strategic interface.
“We look forward to building a new and improved cadre of Municipal Managers that will restore the dignity and decorum of the profession”, said Minister van Rooyen.
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